Sole-pressing machine



Aug; 2, 1927.

. 1,637,506 R. B. woopcocK ET AL some PRESSING MACHINE Filed Feb. 5, 1924 '2 Sheets-Sheet l.

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Filed Feb. 5, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 iiiiiul be a very dangerous one. It is Patented Aug. 2, 19Z7.-

REGINALD BOYD WOODCOCK, AND ERNEST HOPE.

TO UNITED SHOE MACHINEBY COBPORATION,

POBATION OF NEW JERSEY.

PATENT OFFICE.

or LEiCESTER, ENGLAND, nssreivons or PATERSON, new JERSEY, A eonsoLn-rnnssme MACHINE.

Application filed February 5, 1924, Serial N 0. 690,772, and iniGreat Britain February 9, 1923.

This invention relates to machines for use in the manufacture ofboots and shoes for pressing ormolding soles, and has more particular reference to means for determining the proper. relation of a sole to the pressing or molding means or for holding it in proper position. The invention is herein illustrated in its thesame general type as that shown in United States Letters Patent No. 1,277,769 granted on September 8, 1918 upon an application'of TV. C. Stewart, but it is tobe understood that in its more general aspects the invention is not, limited to machines of that particular type. The sole molding machine has proved to necessary, in order to avoid the production of poor work, toplace the sole very accurately in the machine. The machine as ordinarily constructed has a stationary upper mold and a movable lower mold upon whichthesole placed by theoperator after which the machine moves the lower mold'toward the upper mold and compresses the sole. The movement of the solecarrying mold has a tendency todisturb the positioning of the sole on that mold, and in order to keep the operator from realining a sole after the mold begins to move and thereby running great risk of injuring himself, clamping devices have been provided to hold. the solo in proper position upon the lower mold, thus removing the necessity for interference and the temptation to the oper: ator to interfere with the sole'after he has once placed it. Suitablegaging devices in-,

eluding an end gage have also been provided inorder to enable him to position the sole properly in the first place,

In sole molding machines of the above mentioned type as heretofore constructed, only a part of the sole has been molded. The lower mold corresponds in entire sole, but the'upper mold is shortened at its rear end so tion involves only the forepart and the shank portion generally of the sole,the heel seat remaining unmolded. The clamping and end gaging mechanisms above mentioned have been arranged to contact with the sole in'this unmolded portion, are therefore positioned behind the shortened upper application to a machine of i This prevents contour to a an that the pressing operamold and are thus not interfered with by the relative, movement of approach of the molds.

,Under certain conditions and with some kinds of work, it has come to be regarded as advisable to mold the entire sole, including the heel seat portion, and it is desirable also that a sole molding machine should be oapable of dealing with a wide range of conditions, and of molding the whole 'or partof a complete sole, or a short sole, with equal facility. It is therefore an important object of the present invention to provide an improved sole molding machine in which such wide range of conditions can be properly and conveniently met. machine. at least when molding an entire sole, will have to be provided with two full length molds, upper as well as lower, and accordingly a second important object of the invention is the provision of improved gaging and clamping mechanisms for such a machine in order that none of the advan tages ofaccurate work positioning or safe ty to the operator inherent in prior machinesmay be sacrificed. I i

, Considering the invention somewhat more specifically, it will be apparent that when a full length upper mold is used, the gage or sole positioning mechanism andthe clamping mechanism which, as illustrated, project within the mold contours, must be protected from injury as the molds closetogether. Tothis end, an important feature of theinvention consists in a sole molding machine having a pair of eo-operating molds anda gage for one end of the sole to position the sole relativelyto the molds, which is withdrawn from operative position as the molds are brought together. interference between the gage mechanism and a full-length uppermold, if present. gage the invention further provides a construction whereby a clamp .enga-gingthe sole within the area to be molded is protected from injury, the construction shown comprising a recess or slot in the upper mold which receives the clamp when the molding pressure is applied. g In order to insure against damage the damp ng or gaging mechanism, or both,

Obviously "such a i In combination with a retractible found advisable to provide for the automatic shifting of such mechanism out of harms way in order to prevent inadvertent injury to it before the operator himself properly adjusts it. To this end another feature ofthe invention consists in novel means "for this purpose, the construction shown comprising a sole-positioning gage and a clamp for holding the positioned sole for the action of the molds.) which clamp and are adjustablerelatively to the mold holdingde ices lengthwise of the molds according to variations in the work to be molded, and means acted upon'hy one of the molds to determine that in nocase shall the said adjustment cause the clamp and gage to be positioned more than certain distance within oneend ot a moldheld by the corresponoing mold holdi device.

till a further feature of the invention consists-in the combination of a gage and a clamp for a work-piece of sheet stock jointly adjustable in the matnine for example in the general direction of the plane of the sheet of stock the construction shownalso comprising means for breaking the connection between the gage and clamp during operation of the machine to permit the gage to retire from the path of a. mold while leaving the clamp in adjusted position.

The above and other objects and features of the invention including also a novel form of sole gagcy will become fully evident to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description of one conven ient construction embodying the invention.

i In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is side elevation, partly in section, of a sole molding machine embodying the invention in one form;

Fig. 2 is'a side elevation, on a larger scale and partly in section, showing some of the mechanism of Fig. '1 in positionto receive a sole; Y

Fig. 3 showssome of the parts shown in Fig. 2 when in sole pressing position;

Fig. l is a side elevation partly in section. of gage adjusting and operatng mech anism of the machine;

Fig. 5 is atront elevation, partly in section of a portion ofthe 1 iec-hanism shown inFig. l;

F ig. 6 is a detail showing locking mechanism for. a sole clamp ofthe machine; and

Fig. '7 is a side elevation of part of the locking. mechanism. i

Inthis machine two pairs ofmolds con-' sisting of upper and lower molds 1 and 2 are arranged sideby side with the longitudinal axes ot mold pairs extending .ifrom sole) by toggle mechanisms.

mechanism comprises toggle l111kS'4l and 5 front to back of the machine and parallel to'each'other. ()nly one such pair and its operating mechanism are herein shown. The molds l and 2 are arranged so that the tread face of the sole being molded is uppermost and the upper molds 1 are fixed in the machine frame 3. The lower molds 2 are raised and lowered alternately (so that one sole is being molded while another is being withdrawn and replaced by a fresh Each toggle the link l being pivotally connected at its upper end to a cross-head 6 which supports the lower mold 2 and at its lower end to the upper end of the toggle link 5 which at its lower end is pivotally supported on the frame A link 7 is pivotally connected at one end to the joint of the toggle links 4: and 5 and at the other endto a crank 8 formed on a shaft 9 rotatably mounted in bearings on the frame'3. The shaft 9 is driven throughgearing (indicated by dotand-dash lines 10) from a driving shaft 11 also rotatably mounted in hearings on the frame 3. V

In connection with each toggle mechanism there is provided a linkage for moving the lower mold forwardly to present a molded sole for removal and backwardly into line with the upper mold.

Each linkage comprises a lever 12 (Figs. 1 and 2) pivoted to the cross-head 6 at 12 and having cam slot 13 which receive a cam roll carried on an arm 1st extending .rearwardly from the toggle'link l. The lever 12 has an arm 15 which is connected by a link 16 (see the parts 58, shown more in detail in U. S. Patent No. 1277.769, above referred to). to a slide 17 to which the lower mold is secured and which is arranged to slide inhorizontal guideways on the cross-head 6. The link connected to the'slide 17 as clearly shown in the said'patent so as to permit a small relative lengthwise movement of the molds as they come together. i

The machine has clutch mechanism (not shown) automatically stopping the machine first with one pair of molds eXer ing molding pressure (and the other mold pair separated and the lower mold thereof in the forward position) and then with the other pair in this condition,- each operationof the clutch control membercausing operation of .the machine to a point only where these conditions are reversed as is common in twin machines of this type Each carriage or slide 17 on which a lower mold 2 is carried forwardly and backwardly has mounted thereon at the rear of the lower mold (see Figs. 2' and an end gage 18 (the mounting and operation of which will be described below) against which the operator positions the rear end of 16 is yieldingly m mos;

the "sole and, 'operatively related thereto, a sole clamp 19' adapted to be brought down, by the movement by the operator off'a control handle 20, upon the posi tioned sole near the rear end, this clamp then remaining 1n action while the mold retlres and during the moldingpressure,'aswillbe later explained, it being automatically reea sed on the next forwardmovement of the mold, i i i I Thegage 18 has two operative'faces 18 I andl8 the former for use when operating upon whole soles and'the other when operatj about its pivotal connection '21 to bring either face 18 or 18" into operative position. (See dotted lines in Fig. 2.) T "v The clamp 19 is formed at the end of .a

rearwardly ,eXtending bar 24L slidingly" mounted in an arm 25 pivoted on a shaft mittingitto followthe wheel 36 baclr'and forth as the slide 17 moves,lcarrying the, wheel 36-with it. The arm 38 is connected 511340 to the lower end of a rod ll which 26 which is fixed in a bracket 27 fixed to the lower mold carryingslide 17; The bar 21'also passes through the rectangular end 28 of a rod 29 which passes upwardly through an arm 3O pivotally mounted on the shaftQG. A spr1ng31 surrounds the rod'29and is confined betweenthe arm 30 and nuts 32 on the rod. The arm 30 carries a' cam roll 33 which is held by a clamp spring (not shown) connected to the arm 30 and bracket 27 'against a cam 34 fixed on a shaft 35 rotatablyniounted in, bearings on i the bracket 27. The cam 34 has four de-i and the arrangement 1s such that pressions when the cam roll-33 is in one :ofthe depressions the clamp--19 will be raised by the i above-mentioned clamp spring while ifthe cam is rotated one-eighth of a revolution the high part of the cam Wlll cause the clamp to bepressed down on to thesole \The spring 7 31 provides ayield betweenthearms25 and 30 and thereby allows for different thick i I i ofthe gage18.

To effect the automatic withdrawal of the,

nesses of soles.

The operating mechanism for the clamp is "as follows z-Fixed'also on the shaft 35 and rotating with it and the c'am34 is a ratchet wheel 36 having eight teeth whichxis rotated one-eighth of a revolution to lower the clamp on to the sole by a pin 36* fixed in an arm 37 pivotally supported'by ana rm 38 pivoted onav 'shaft 39 fixed in a bracket 40 fixedto the frame 3, The pin is held against the ratchet wheel by a, tension spring (not shown) connected at 1t-s ends respectively to I prov1des in addition for retract ng the gage the arm 37 and arm 38,theconstruct'ion peri at its upper end is connectedtoa lever 42 pivoted :at 13 to a bracket 4a fixed on one ofithe cross-head guide rods 45. The lever 42 has formed onit the control handle 20 by which it may be actuated to raise the may armq38andjthrough the pin 36* inthe arm 37 rotate the ratchet wheel and cam 34 one-eighth; ofa revolution tolower the clamp on to the sole. The cam 34 is rotated toJallow the clamp to be raised by its clamp spring by apin 46* fixed in an arm l? pivoted at 48 to a bracket 49 fixed to the cross 1 molded, the pin in the arm 47 catches a tooth .on the ratchet wheel and rotates it andthe cam through another one-eighth of a revolution thereby bringing one of the depressions in: the cam opposite the cam roll to be raised by and allowing the clam the clamp sprin Itwill be understood that while there is a ratchet wheel 36 and mechanism driven thereby associated with each sole clamp there is buta single arm 37 carryingtheratchet,

wheel operating pin 36* the opposite ends of whichlatter are in turn effective to op erate that one of the ratchet wheels of'the mold slide that for the time being in the forward position. In other words the one handle '20 is operative to lower the respective clamps in turn. j 1

, In order to permit each clamp to remain in operation as the corresponding molds close together, a longitudinal slot 50 is provided in the lower rear end of the substantiallyfull length upper mold 1, which is just wide enough to receive the sole clamp 19 when the molds close upon the sole (Figs. 2 and 3); and it is also arranged that the end gage 18 shall automatically retire as the molds. close upon the sole, toavoid interference with a full length'upper mold.-

It will be obvious that thesamemolds can thus be used to mold all or part ofa whole,

sole, or ashort sole, by proper adjustment end gage '18lthere is provided an extensible connectionfbctween the gage 18 and the cuslongitudinally of the sole. This connection is generally of thetype shown in United StatesLetters Patent No. 1,271,315, granted' July 21918, on the application of J. J. Hevs, wherein/the connection merely 'adjusts the gage.- The-illustrated'mechanism without losing the adjustment or disturbing the said handle. This'connection is as r01 1 lows 'The' gage adjusting handle 51; con trols*(through a pinion and rack such as in t e 'e shead; 61,: and meshing w h a gear segment 53, rotatably mounted on a shaft 59,iwhich is; itself rotatably'mounted in the slide 17. A second gear segment 57 is'fixedly mounted on this shaft and mesheswi-th a rack .58 on the gage-carrying bar 23. The segment 53 carries'a laterally projecting lugor stop face 54,-and the segment 57 has a similar lug 56, so placed as to con tact with the lug 54 when the segments are relatively turned to the right extent. A coil spring having one end connected to each segment tends to turn the segment 57 counterclockwise (Fig. 4) relatively to the segment 53 untilthe lugs' '5t, 56 contact.

The handle 51 by operating the bar 52 will thus rotate both segments and move the rack 58 and adjust the gage -18,'thelugs remaining in contact. A third segment,

(Fig. 1), about which is wrapped a chain 61 secured at one end to the segment and at the'other. end to the crosshead 16 on which the carriage 17 slides to and fro, is fixed on the shaft 59, to Withdraw the gage, as will be seen.

The spring 55 always tends tohold the two stop faces 54, 56 together and thegage 18 in its forward adjusted position when the carriage 17 1s forward, but'as the car riage retires the slack in the chain 61 is taken up, and the pull of the chain then causes the rotation of the third segment 60 which turnsthe shaft 59 and segment 57 and withdraws the gage 18 rearwardly on the, carriage, separating the stop faces on the segments and retracting the gage al-' ways to a fixed position on the carriage, determined by the length of the chain 61. .The

7' clamp bar 24, when the clamp is not in operative position on the sole, is adjusted with the gageby means ofan upstanding pin 62 on the rear end of the'gage bar 23,.which when the clamp 19 is raised from the lower mold, and its'rea'r end lowered, enters snugl ly a hole 63 'in'therear end of the clamp .bar 24 which latter is freely slidable longitudinally in the device or arm 25' which swings it up and down out of andinto contactwith t-he'sole. Consequentlytheclamp bar, when its rear'end is down, is carried longitudinally to and fro with the gage in the adjustment of the gage; so as never to pro ject forwardly more than a given amount beyond the gage.

As the clamp 19- is lowered upon "the sole by the turning vofrthe cam '34,; the pin 62 and the hole 63" part company, so that the clamp will not-be drawn back'as the gage 18 is automaticallyretracted in them-anner above described. In order that this discon-' nection of the clamp from the pin 62 shall not leave the clamp bar 24 freely slidable' longitudinally'in the arm 25 and therefore liable to displacement, jthere are provided apair of pawls 65 (Figs 6 and 7') pivoted in the. rectangularend 28of'throd 29'and' controlled by two spring plungers 66, these pawls being arranged to engage teeth 67 on the clamp bar 24. The pawls are duplicated for greater precision, being spaced apart a distance less than the distance between ad-' jacent teeth, so that one or the other of them will act to lock the clamp bar against lengthwise movement when it'is disconnected from the pin 62. "When the, clamp is lifted from the sole after the molding and is connected again to the pin 62, the-pawls are retracted fromnthe teeth 67 by the engagement of tails 68 thereon with a face on the bracket 27 in response to the turning movement of the, arm 30 in a clockwise direction (Fig.2)f I To reduce the amount of widthwise slotting of the upper mold l to receive the clamp, thelatter has but a single'work-engaging foot the grip of which on the work is increased by serrations (not shown) on its comparatively large work-engaging face 6 1, and this makes it desirable that the clamp be positioned near the rear end of the sole in order that the portion of the sole engaged by the clamp maynot be exposed in the finished shoe.

The molds are positioned in the machine by locating stops or the like (not shown) and are formed with relationto the faces on sure automatically that when a change of,

molds isiefi'ected the clamp 19 is so positioned relatively to the. slot (the position of which may vary considerably lengthwise of the carriage with difierent molds) as to ensure its being free to enter the slot if the machine is started without the insertion of a sole and proper adjustment of the gage and clamp thereto, after the substitution of a longer mold for a shorter one. This result is secured by providing a stop pin 69 depending from'the gage bar 23and in the path ofthe lower mold 2 on the carriage, so

that, in the case of a longer mold than that,

shown, a lug 169 formed on the end of the mold will strike the end of the pin 69 if it (and therefore'the gage and-clamp) is'too far forward when the new mold is placed in position'inthe machine. The pin '69, and consequently the gage bar 23 and theclamp bar 2t,are then pushed back, (the stop faces 54:, 5601'? the gage adjusting mechanism partingcompany), to a position determined by the position to which the lug 169 on the clamping means being adjustable with the engaging means to operate at different positions lengthwise of the sole.

" -3. A soleepressing machine having a pair of co-operating molds, means for relatively moving the molds to press a sole between them sole gaging means and clamping means operable prior to said relative movement to ranged for simultaneous adjustment longitudinally of the sole and being also arranged to permit the retraction of the gaging means, as the molds close together, without disturb ance of the clamping mechanism;

5. A sole pressing machine having a pair of cooperating molds arranged to press a sole between them, gaging means for locating the sole in position for action of the 'molds thereon, and clamping mechanism for holding the sole in such position, the clampmg mechanism and gaging means being arranged for simultaneous ad ustment longitudinally of the sole and being also arranged to permit the retraction of the gaging means, as the molds close together, without disturbance of the clamping mechanisn'n'and to re turn to adjusted position upon the sole releasing movement of the molds.

6. A sole pressing machine comprising a pair of relatively movable molds adapted to mold a sole between them, and an end gage arranged to locate, the end of the solewith:

regard to one of the molds and constructed and arranged to be displaced relatively to the sole as the molds close together.

7. A sole pressing machine comprising a pair of cooperating molds arranged to compress a sole between them, means for relatively moving said molds to'press the sole, an end gage arranged to locate the end of the sole relatively to one of the molds, and

means operated by the relative movement of the molds in closing together to displace the gage from operative position at the end of the sole'to avoid interference thereof with the molds as they close together. H i 8. 'A sole molding machine having a pai of co-operating molds arranged to compress a sole between them, a sole clamp and asole gage generally adjustable lengthwise of the sole, the gage being arranged for move ment away from the molds as the molds come together, and the connection between the clamp and gage being constructed and arranged to permlt the clamp to remain in operative clamping position as the gage is retracted.

9. In a sole molding machine, a pair of cooperating molds arranged to clamp a sole between them, an end gage arranged to position the sole with regard to one of the molds, means for adjusting the gage longitudinally of the mold to correspond with soles of varying sizes, and means for retracting the gage from the sole as the molds come together while preserving the adjustment.

10. in a sole molding machine, a, pair of cooperating molds arranged to clamp a sole between them, a gage arranged to position the sole with regard to one of the molds, means including a lost'motion mechanism for adjusting the gage back and forth to correspond to-soles of varying sizes, and means operated by relative movement of the molds to operate the lost motion mechanism to move the gage out of operative position.

11, A sole molding machine having a gage and a clamp for a sole jointly adjustable lengthwise of the sole, and means for breaking the connection between the gage and clamp during operation of the machine to permit the gage to retire from the path of a mold while leaving the clamp in adjusted position.

12. A sole molding machine having mold holding devices for interchangeable pairs of co-operating molds, sole positioning means that is adjustable relatively to said devices lengthwise of the molds according to variations in the work to be molded by a particular pair of molds, and means acted on by one of the molds to determine that the positioning means shall in no case take up a position too far between the molds.

18. A sole pressing machine having a pair of co-operating molds arranged to'mold a sole over its entire length, means for relatively moving the molds to compress a sole between them, means to clamp apositioned sole for action of the molds thereon by engagement of the sole within the area thereof which is to be molded, end gaging means for the sole, and means for retracting the end gaging means as the molds close together.

14. A sole pressing machine having a pair of co-operating molds, means for relatively moving the molds to press-a sole between them, manually. operable clamping means operable to hold the sole relatively to a mold prior to the actuation of the machine, and

gaging mechanism, adjustable with the clamping means, for positioning the sole relatively to the mold.

15. A sole pressing machine having a pair of co-operating molds, means for moving one of the molds into operative relation to the other to press a sole between them, and

pair. of co-operating -molds sole gaging and sole clamping means mounted to move with the moving 'mold to gage and hold the sole on it, said gaging and clamping means being simultaneously adjustable to preserve their own operative relation. I p

16. A sole pressing machine comprising a pair of co-operating I molds arranged to press a sole between them, means for relatively moving said molds to press the sole, an end gage arranged to locate the end of the sole relatively to one of the molds, and means for moving the gage, in the plane of the sole, away from the sole as the molds close together. i a

17 A sole pressing machine comprising a arranged to press a sole between them, means for relatively moving said molds to press the sole, an end gage arranged to locate the end of the sole relatively to one of the molds, and means operated by the relative movement of the molds in closing together for moving the gage, in the planeof the sole, away from the sole as themolds close together. k "18. In a sole pressing machine, a sole surface can be' brought into gaging position against a sole.

19. A sole-pressing machine having, in combination, a pair of co-operating molds. means for relatively moving said molds to compress a sole between them, means for clamping the sole for the molding operation by engaging it within the area thereof which is to be molded, the molds and the clamping means being so constructed and arranged as to prevent interference between them in the relative pressing movement of the molds, an end gage arranged to be positioned over the molding faceof one of the molds to position the sole, and automatic means for retracting the gage from over said tace in the molding operation.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

' REGINALD BOYD \VOODCOCK.

ERNEST HOPE. 

